App localization that feels native in every market
UI strings, store listings and localization testing in 25+ languages, delivered in your i18n format and synced to your release cycle.
App localization adapts an application for new markets: UI strings, formats, images and the app store listing itself, so the app feels locally built rather than translated. Orion Translations localizes iOS, Android and web apps in more than 25 languages, working directly in .strings, strings.xml, JSON, XLIFF and other i18n formats.
Users uninstall what they half-understand
App store data is brutal about language: users overwhelmingly download and keep apps in their own language, and a store listing in English converts poorly outside English-speaking markets. Localization is not a translation checkbox; it is the difference between existing in a market and competing in it.
The failure mode is equally specific: truncated buttons, placeholders printed raw, dates in the wrong format, and store keywords nobody actually types. Our workflow, native linguists working in your string format plus localization testing on real screens, exists to make those failures impossible.
What does app localization include?
| Layer | What we do | Formats |
|---|---|---|
| UI strings | Translation with placeholders, plurals and character limits respected | .strings, strings.xml, .arb, JSON, YAML, PO, XLIFF, RESX |
| Store listings | Titles, descriptions and keywords researched per market | App Store Connect, Google Play Console |
| Content and notifications | Onboarding, emails, push notifications, help articles | CMS export or copy deck |
| Localization testing | Native-speaker QA on device or staging build | Issues logged in your tracker |
| Continuous localization | Per-sprint translation against glossary and memory | 24-72h per release batch |
How much does app localization cost?
UI strings are priced per word with memory discounts on repeats, and apps repeat heavily: settings screens, error messages and onboarding recur across features and versions. Store listing localization and testing are quoted per market. After the first release, sprint updates typically cost a small fraction of the initial localization. Send your string export to info@oriontranslations.com for a fixed per-language quote within one business day.
Which languages should you localize into first?
Follow your analytics, not a generic list: where do installs, sessions and payment failures already come from? For most of our clients the first wave is Spanish (with the Spain versus Latin America choice made deliberately), French, German, Portuguese and Italian. We advise on variant strategy per market, the same question that decides our website localization projects, and your app, site and store listing should agree with each other terminologically.
Localization testing: the step everyone skips and regrets
Strings translated out of context break in context: a label that fit in English overflows in German, "Book" translated as the noun when the button meant the verb. Our native testers run the localized build screen by screen before release, so the first person to see a broken layout is never a paying user. For games, our video game localization team applies the same discipline to narrative content.
Your app, native everywhere it ships.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- App localization adapts a mobile or web application for other markets: translating UI strings, adjusting date, currency and number formats, adapting images and cultural references, and localizing the app store listing. Done properly it makes the app feel built for each market, which is what drives downloads and retention outside your home country.
- App localization is quoted per project based on string volume, languages and whether store listings and screenshots are included. UI strings are priced per word with translation memory discounts on repeated segments, which matters because apps update constantly. Send your string files or repo export via the quote form for a fixed per-language price within one business day.
- Standard i18n formats: .strings and .stringsdict (iOS), strings.xml (Android), .arb (Flutter), JSON, YAML, PO/POT, XLIFF and RESX, among others. You export from your codebase, we return the same structure translated, keys untouched, placeholders and plural rules intact, ready to merge.
- Languages like Spanish and German run 20 to 35 percent longer than English, which breaks buttons and truncates labels. We respect character limits where you define them, flag strings that cannot fit, and offer shorter alternatives. Localization testing on real screens catches whatever slips through.
- Yes: titles, subtitles, descriptions and keyword fields, researched per market rather than translated literally, because the terms people type into store search differ by country. Localized screenshots and video captions are included on request. Store listing localization is one of the highest-ROI steps, since it drives the download decision.
- Yes. Localization testing (also called linguistic QA) has native speakers run the localized build to catch truncated strings, mistranslations in context, broken layouts and cultural issues before your users do. We test on device or against your staging build, logging issues in your tracker.
- Continuous localization: connect your string exports to our workflow and each release batch is translated against your glossary and memory, typically within 24 to 72 hours. The same linguist team handles every sprint, so terminology stays stable while the app evolves.